Ball-caster.



D. S. CARTER.

BALL EASTER.

APPLICATION rILED AUG.2'1, isos.

957,303. Pantedmay10,191o.

Imi/Mo? Dixon Gamer.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DIXON S. CARTER, OF BLOOMINGDALE. INDIANA.

BALL-CASTER.

Application filed August 27` 1909. Serial No. 515,094.

To all u'hom. it may concern.'

Be it. known that. I, Dixon S. CARTER. a citizen of the ,United States. residing;r at Bloomingdale. in the'county of larke, `ntate of Indiana. have. linvented certain new and useful Improvements in balbtlasters: and I do hereby declare the Yfollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 'it appertaius to make and use the same.

This invention relates to casters. more particularly to devices of'this character known as ball-casters.' and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device of this character possessing uonconductive properties, so that theA article of furniture to which it is'attachcd is protected from the intlueuce of electric currents.

'ith this andv other objects in view. the invention consists in certain novel features of coustrueton as hereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims. and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improveddevice in one of its forms. Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2-2 of Fig. t. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. lss-bowingr the improved device in another form. Fig'. t is a section on the line 4t of Fig. L. Fig. if, is a view similar to Figs. l and L. illustratiugQr a mmlitieation in the construction. The improved device may be employed in connection with furniture of variouskinds, but it is more particularly designed for uso in connection with bedstcads. and may be employed in connection with metal 0r wood bedsteads without material structural changes, and for the purpose of illustration the improved device is shown arranged for both a metal and wood beds-tend. to illustrate the operation more completely.

The improveddevice comprises a base or body 10, lof glass, porcelainor other suitable nuiterial which is ra non-comhictor ol' electricity. When employed in connection with a metal lxulst'eadthe member 10 will preferably be circular and when employed in connection with `a wooden bedstead will preferably be squat-e. as shown in Fig. 4.'

will be embedded for a short distance in the. lower end ot' the post` a portion of one of which is represented at l.

The body lt) is internally bored as shown at 13. with the lower end ot the bore contracted as shown at 14 to form a seat for a relatively large ball 15, the latter being of glass' o1' like non-conductive niaterial Bjr this means the ball is suplwrted in position and prevented from downward movement, but with a sutiicient portion of tnc ball projecting below the member 1t) to form the requisite bearingnpor the. floor which is indicated at lt. The member 10 is internally threaded at its upper portion as .shown at- 17.

Bearing within the bore 13 is u plate or diaphragm 18, also of glass or other noneonductive material, and with its lower face concaved. and fitting between the plate 18 and the ball 15 are bearing balls 19, the. latter being also preferably of glass or like nim-combativo material.

Fitting in the threaded portion 17 of the member 1() is a tubular coupling member 20, preferably of metal, and provided with one or more screw-threads 2l at its lower end adapted to engage with the threads 17. By this means the member Q0 may bc adjusted within the bore 13 by simply rotating it therein. Located between the lower end of the tube 2|) and the plate 1S is a block '22 of yieldable material` such as relatively hard rubber. 'l'he upper end of the tubular mem; ber 20 is formed with a plurality of clefts 25. and the material ot the member between the cavities is directed outwardly, to form a t'rietioual clip device which will adhere with sullicieut tirmness to the inner walls of the cavity Q4 within the members 11 or 12 aS the case ma)` be. to hold the member 20 in position. and prevent. it from dropping dowmvardly when the article of furniture is lifted from the floor.

When the device is applied to wooden structures. as showt'. in Fig. 3, the material between the. clefts '5 of the member 20 is bent outwardly at the upper end to form points to cuter the relatively soft material 'tio '12, ns shown, and thus tirmly couple the 'lho yieldable block 22 receives a large Share of the upward preesnre, and thus rel lieves the. glass membeis largely from `airain, I while at the same time producing a cushionl ing etl'eet. upon the Structure above. 'Ihei block 2Q being of rubber or like material is i also a non-conduetor of electricity, and eoi actel with the non-conrluetive members 11)18 l and the balls 19 to etl'ectuall \'.insulate the superstructure 11 or '12. The strat-ture supi ported upon the improved device is thereg fore thoroughly insulated from electric euri rents. so that all danger of deleterious effects from lightning or oiher Sources of eleetrinity is obviated. the improved device. will also be found of advantage when the occupants of a bed are to be treated by eleetrinity or galvanism. as the presence of the improved device. will etleetually prevent the i undue elimination ot the electric currents. The improved device will also be found of great advantage in eoniiectionwith electro medico devices of various kinds, wherein itl is requisite to insulate the chairs or like. supports upon which the patients rest..

The. improved device. ma)` be ehea ply constructed, and the parts i0- 1S and the balls 19 may be of any suitable imn-eouduetive I material, and it is not desired therefore to limit. the device to any specilie material for these mrts.

In figs. 1 to 4 the portion of the. tube :20 which contains the thread@ 2l is enlarged as shown so that the ball 15 is relatively larg but. ,under some circumstances, the structure shown in Fig. 5 may be employed, with the bore of the member l() sub.'-tantially uniform with the diameter of the smaller portion of i the tubular member 2i), and employing a smaller ball 15, but this structure does not i constitute a departure from the principle of theinvention, as the parts are .substantially the same and perform precisely the same funetions.

'hat is Claimed isz-- l.. A ball ear-iter eomprieing a body of noncondiictive material and formed with a longitudinal bore and with a hall Sleat in the lower end of the bore, a relativelj.' large ball Supported upon Said seat. a bearing member ot' non-eonduetive material movable within said body, a pluraliti4 of relatively small bearing balls between said larger ball and said bearing member. a eoiipling member, means for adjusting Said coupling member within said bore, and a euihioning ii'iember of non-eonfluetive material between Said coupling member 'and bearingr mei'nber.

2. A ball caster comprising a body of noli-condiietiie materia] and formed with a longitudinal bore, said bore having a ball seat at. one end and internallyv threaded at the. other end, a relatively large ball .supported upon said seat, a bearing member of non-conduetive material movable within :aaid body. a plurality of relativelyv simili bearing balls' between said larger ball and said hearing member, a coupling member threaded :it one end and engaging the threads of Said body, and a (,ushioning meniber of non-eenduetive material between said couplingmember and bearing member.

In testimony \\'lieieol.Iatlix my signature, in presence of two witneases.

` DIXON S. CARTER.

Witnesses .lossen L. Swain, 'iiJJAM N. Cox. 

